Conor McGregor explains punch which sent basketball mascot to hospital

Conor McGregor has insisted he and the Miami Heat mascot he sent to hospital last week were simply performing a stunt and that all is well.

The Irishman was in Miami on holiday when he was spotted courtside at the NBA finals, even getting himself on the court during a break in play. And he even found himself in a fun segment where he 'knocked out' the mascot Burnie and threw an extra shot on the ground to finish him off after a playful ;fight.

However, all was not necessarily well, with sources in the league telling The Athletic the man inside the costume caught the punch a little too well, and was really hurt by the incident. Reports claimed he was sent to hospital and given pain medication by doctors before being sent home.

McGregor claims the pair have spoken since and that the mascot is fine, telling TMZ during a visit to New York yesterday: "The mascot is good. It was a skit, and all is well. I spent a lot of time with him afterward, we talked it out, everything is great. It was all part of the show!"

The legendary UFC fighter, who is currently preparing for his octagon return later this year, stayed at the Kaseya Center for the entirety of the Denver Nuggets’ 108-95 win over the Heat. He was promoting his Tidl spray within the skit, using it to help the mascot get better after the stunt.

Conor McGregor punched the mascot as part of a promo, but seems to have accidentally hurt him - enough to send him to hospital (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

What did you make of Conor McGregor's skit at the Miami Heat game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

The 7’6” orange-furred mascot is one the most popular mascots in the NBA and had previously made headlines for trolling DeMar DeRozan during an NBA game and having a dance-off with a 14-year-old Heat fan that went viral. Fans showed their support by booing McGregor off the court after the incident.

McGregor is back in America after a brief stint at home to promote Katie Taylor vs Chantelle Cameron and a stop in Cannes for the annual film festival. He is expected to face Chandler on December 16 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but his status with the US Anti-Doping Agency is unknown, as is the weight class for the bout.